Gastric Sleeve Surgery Austin Success Story Kathryn *

Gastric Sleeve Surgery Austin Success Story Kathryn Vinson is now the happy mother of two beautiful children. But, prior to her May 2011 gastric sleeve surgery, Kathryn was unable to even consider a second pregnancy.  Read more below…

Kathryn Vinson, Austin TX
“Her daughter is thriving beautifully as an exclusively breast-fed baby”

Weight before Surgery: 225 lbs
Current Weight: 110 lbs.
Procedure: Gastric Sleeve

Kathryn Vinson is now the happy mother of two beautiful children.   But, prior to her May 2011 gastric sleeve surgery, Kathryn was unable to even consider a second pregnancy.

Growing up, Kathryn was “always heavy”, but that seemed normal since many of her family members were also overweight.  In high school Kathryn played basketball and ran track, which kept her weight in relative balance.  While in college, Kathryn was diagnosed with asthma and multiple sclerosis (MS), which attacks the central nervous system.  She tried hard to stay healthy through diet and exercise, but despite her efforts, her weight remained high; 180 pounds on only a five foot frame.

Her health issues required that she take steroids during her first pregnancy, and she gained a considerable amount of weight, bringing her up to 225lbs, which then caused sleep apnea.  MS, asthma and sleep apnea symptoms are all exacerbated by excess weight, and Kathryn had a baby to take care of.  She realized she needed to do something about her weight, both for herself and the new baby.  Kathryn’s mom had undergone a successful gastric bypass surgery with Dr. Nilesh Patel of Texas Bariatric Specialists (TBS), so she went directly to him for a consultation.

Dr. Patel performed Kathryn’s gastric sleeve procedure in May 2011 and her recovery was fast, though she admits that the first few weeks on a liquids-only post-op diet were tough!  She got through the healing process quickly by taking the doctor’s advice to get out and walk every day.  After a few short weeks, she was up to walking several miles a day. The TBS nutritionist helped Kathryn develop a healthy eating plan with lots of fresh fruits, vegetables and lean protein.  She speaks highly of all the TBS follow-up procedures, including the necessary lab work, and found her new healthy eating habits and exercise allowed her to easily achieve “normal” lab results without radical lifestyle changes. Prior to the surgery, she had been worried that her hair would fall out or she would need massive quantities of supplements on an on-going basis.  But Kathryn has been pleased to find that she is able to get the nutrition she needs (and keep all her hair!) by eating right, with minimal use of dietary supplements.

In July 2012, Kathryn gave birth to her second baby.  As a second-time mother, Kathryn was very happy to have TBS’s support in breast feeding her baby. She had been concerned about her ability to breast feed after weight loss surgery, as she had heard a rumor that she might not be able to provide enough nutrition for the baby due to the alterations to her stomach.  However, Dr Patel assured her this was not the case, and her daughter is thriving beautifully as an exclusively breast fed baby.

Her everyday diet now includes almost any food she wants to eat, but in smaller portions. Kathryn shares that she is always surprised looking at her clothes – she has gone from a size 22 to a size 6, and she often feels like there’s no way those size 6 clothes will fit … but they do!  Kathryn has been ecstatic to find that she has been able to start running again – something she hasn’t been able to do since she was in high school!  She is also very happy to report that she is no longer afraid of having her picture taken.

Between eating well and breast feeding, she has achieved her weight loss goal: a healthy BMI for her height – something she never thought she’d be able to even hope for before her surgery.  She loves her new body, and is very grateful to Dr Patel and the TBS staff for helping her take back the control in her life through weight loss.